Inter-School Sport Safety Review Panel
A 17-member expert panel has been invited to advise Zach Churchill, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, on safety in school sports across the province. The group began its work in July 2019 and has been asked to report back by August 31, 2019.
Documents
Sport Review Panel Minutes - August 8, 2019
Sport Review Panel Minutes - July 18 & 19, 2019
Sport Review Panel - Terms of Reference
Member Biographies
Dr. Robert Strang, Co-Chair
Chief Medical Officer of Health in Nova Scotia. Dr. Strang received his medical degree from the University of British Columbia and completed Family Practice and Public Health and Preventive Medicine residencies at UBC. He also has an adjunct appointment with Dalhousie University in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology.
Sue Taylor-Foley, Co-Chair
An experienced educator who has held many positions in teaching and administration within the education system in Nova Scotia, Ontario and the United States. Ms. Taylor-Foley is the Executive Director of Education Innovation, Programs and Services with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Michelle Aucoin
Director of Provincial Services with the Communities, Sport and Recreation division of the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage. Ms. Aucoin leads staff who support provincial sport, recreation and physical activity delivery. She has also coached at various levels and is an active mentor to female coaches.
Jamie Ferguson
CEO of Sport Nova Scotia, a federation comprised of 60 provincial sport organizations. Mr. Ferguson previously worked for Tennis Canada as the Senior Director of the Atlantic Tennis Alliance. He is also Chair of the Board of KidSport Canada and Chair of the Canadian Council of Provincial and Territorial Sport Federations.
Karen Furneaux
President and CEO of I Promise Performance, an Atlantic Canadian corporate well-being and consulting company. Ms. Furneaux is a three-time Olympian and two-time World Champion in sprint kayaking. She is also an author and motivational speaker for corporate and youth audiences in Canada.
Dr. John Gillis
An ER physician in Dartmouth and chronic pain physician in Halifax. Dr. Gillis is the head physician for the Toronto Arrows of Major League Rugby, and Chairman of Halifax Tars Rugby Football Club. He is former chief medical officer of Rugby Canada, and physician for the national senior men's rugby team.
Jennifer Heatley
A Project Executive with the Health Promotion-Mental Health and Addictions Branch at the Department of Health and Wellness. Ms. Heatley leads work across a variety of health promotion issues, including injury prevention. She also has experience in the field of injury prevention at the provincial, regional and national levels.
Paul Hunter
Director of Development with Rugby Canada and the lead for its PlaySmart player welfare system. Mr. Hunter was also a member of the Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee, which reviewed concussion management guidelines in Ontario and made recommendations to government on legislation and guidelines
Dave Jones
Regional Executive Director of the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education. Mr. Jones has been involved in sports throughout his career, including coaching numerous school sports and participating at the national level as an athlete and official. He is a past president of Volleyball Nova Scotia and lives in Port Williams.
Stephen MacNeil
Vice-Principal at Glace Bay High School and Chair of the Board of Governors of the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation. Throughout his career, Mr. MacNeil has maintained an interest in sports, coaching baseball and hockey, and serving as Glace Bay High’s Athletic Director.
David Napier
Chair of the Board of Directors and President of Basketball Nova Scotia. Mr. Napier is a professional writer and strategic communications adviser. For 15 years, he was a magazine writer and speechwriter based in Halifax and then Toronto. He now lives in Halifax.
Gerry Post
Executive Director of the Accessibility Directorate. As an advocate for persons with disabilities, Mr. Post worked to improve Nova Scotia’s first Accessibility Act, proclaimed in 2017. He has received many awards, including a Nova Scotia Human Rights Award and a World Leadership Award in Town Planning and Governance.
Jennifer Russell
Executive Director of the Atlantic Collaborative on Injury Prevention, a partnership of government and non-government stakeholders that aims to reduce serious and fatal injuries in Atlantic Canada. Ms. Russell has a BSc in Health Promotion from Dalhousie University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Alberta.
Lori Sigfridson
Active Healthy Living Consultant for the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education, based in Yarmouth. Ms. Sigfridson’s passion for adaptive and inclusive education led her to develop the first integrated adaptive physical education program in Nova Scotia. She is also President of Physical and Health Education Canada.
Shaquille Smith
Received his Business degree from Acadia University in 2016 while playing varsity basketball. Since then, Mr. Smith has worked at Colour, a digital marketing agency based in Halifax. He has also spearheaded a project to construct a new basketball court in his hometown of North Preston and offer after-school programs.
Carolyn Townsend
Director of Communications and Strategic Relations with Sport Nova Scotia. Ms. Townsend is project lead for reSPORT, which aims to ensure all Nova Scotians have equitable access to sport. She previously worked as an agency consultant providing strategic communications counsel and thought leadership to senior executives.
Amy Walsh
Executive Director of Hockey Nova Scotia. Ms. Walsh was previously Director of Sport Development with Sport Nova Scotia. Through this role, she worked with Hockey Canada as a task team member.